Beginning, or First Date With No Kidnapping
by IMPhoenix
Summary: Immediate sequel to "Revenge."   Roxanne and Megamind have their first official date. Set pre-movie, AU/AR.     WARNING: Possible Sweetness Overdose, plus parts of the story will probably not make sense unless you read "Revenge."
1. Prelude

**Beginning, or First Date (With No Kidnapping)**

PLOT SUMMARY: Immediate sequel to Revenge. Roxanne and Megamind have their first official date. Set pre-movie, AU/AR. WARNING: Possible Sweetness Overdose + parts of the story will probably not make sense unless you read Revenge.

DISCLAIMER: (Do I really have to say this?) I do not own Megamind in any way, have no financial stake in the movie or characters, and this story is just for fun. Thanks, DreamWorks, for letting us play in your sandbox.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1. Prelude<strong>

Tina's voice said, "Earth to Roxanne." She broke out of her reverie, saw her friends looking at her, and realized she had no idea what they had been talking about. Julia seemed concerned, but Tina was just amused. "Are you alright? You're not sick or anything? Or is there something bothering you?" Julia asked.

Roxanne was annoyed with herself, and a little flustered. She didn't get to spend time with her friends that often. She should be taking advantage of the opportunity, not being preoccupied with the events of last night or the upcoming date. "No, no. I'm fine. Just wool-gathering. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Were you out late because of that charity ball you two went to last evening?" Julia queried.

Tina gave a little laugh. "She went home hours before I did. I was there until they closed the joint." She turned to Roxanne. "Or did you have a hot date afterwards that kept you up late?"

To her embarrassment, Roxanne realized that she was starting to blush. "No, no, I just had trouble sleeping."

"You are so lying. What are you hiding? I bet it has to do with a guy. Come on, spill!"

* * *

><p>[Earlier that day]<p>

The bells on the door jangled as Michelle finished up with the first customer of the day. Good, she thought, business didn't usually pick up until late morning. More customers, more commission. "I'll be with you in a moment, sir," she greeted the man. He didn't acknowledge her, but looked at the display of cell phones. When she finally turned her full attention to him, she thought he seemed nervous. "How can I help you?" When he turned to look at her, she noted he was unremarkable in appearance (average height, average weight, medium brown hair), except for the eyes; the eyes were the most brilliant green she had ever seen.

"I am interested in a, what is the term? A disposable cell phone, the type that cannot be traced."

Michelle thought to herself that he didn't really look like the criminal type, but what did she know? Maybe he's cheating on his wife. No one gets that type of phone unless they are hiding something. But, not her problem. A sale is a sale. "If you come over here, sir, I'll explain the different options." He was a strange customer. He appeared to understand the complex, technical aspects, but seemed to know nothing about the basics, like how to send a text message. He finally acknowledged that he had never owned a cell phone before. She gave him a brief tutorial, since there were no other customers, and he seemed appreciative. He had trouble deciding between two phones, and ended up buying them both, with cash. Definitely hiding something.

* * *

><p>"Tina, I swear you read too many detective novels. You are so suspicious, expecting secrets everywhere."<p>

"Roxanne, don't try to change the subject. I think I know you rather well after working all those years at the station together. I may not have your nose for news, but I'm not completely unobservant. Like I noticed you were interested in that robotics professor you interviewed. I saw him briefly at the event last night. Did you ever get a chance to talk with him? Oh, I know, did you plan to meet up with him later? Is that why you left so early?"

"Alright. You are correct that I had been kind of interested in him, and I did get to talk to him. And then the man introduced me to his lovely, pregnant wife. So, no, I left because I was tired, it had been a long week and I just wanted to go home and sleep."

"So why so tired and spacey? What kept you from sleep? I still think it has something to do with a guy."

"Give it a rest, Tina," Julia admonished. Looking at Roxanne, concern in her face, Julia said, "I think something is bothering you. We're your best friends. Can't you talk to us about it?"

"One of you thinks she's a detective, and the other a psychotherapist. How about both of you leave me alone!"

Roxanne saw the stunned looks on their faces, and immediately felt terrible. She covered her face with her hands, and realized to her horror that tears were starting to leak from her eyes. Wiping them with her napkin, she murmured, "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. There is something going on, but I can't talk about it. I'm not even sure how to describe it." Suddenly her phone gave the tone that indicated a text message. "I'm sorry, I'm expecting something important. I need to check this." Taking her phone from her purse, she opened the text and read:

"HAVE NEW PHONE. HOPE I AM NOT INTERRUPTING. NOT SPYING SO DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN TO DISCUSS DATE. M"

She couldn't help it. It made her smile to imagine him figuring out how to text, and then reading what he sent. She glanced up to see her friends looking at her, Tina smug and Julia astonished. Tina nudged Julia. "Told you it was about a guy."

* * *

><p>[Earlier that day]<p>

Megamind was jittery, unable to settle. After finally going to bed early in the morning, he slept for about 4 hours. Then he got up and prepared for the trip to the phone store. Fortunately, he already had an acceptable disguise for the errand. He had accumulated quite a few during the time he was engaged in surveillance on Roxanne. Bland, normal looking people, the type that don't draw attention. He had also developed similar disguises for the invisible car, to use when he was trying to blend in as human. Minion had said nothing when Megamind announced he was going by himself in the car to get the phone, and again nothing when Megamind returned. Was he sulking? Was he afraid he would make Megamind angry if he said anything, asked anything? "I'll talk to him later," Megamind thought, "I don't have time now." He needed to make sure he completely understood how the cell phone worked, calling and text messages. And he had to make some kind of plan or series of options for his first date with Roxanne. He wanted it to be special. All that surveillance and he still wasn't sure what activities she would like best. So many traditional dating activities he could only do in disguise. Going as himself, the blue skinned, big headed alien would draw unwanted attention (and probably the police or even Metro Man) in movie theaters, restaurants, concert halls, parks, malls, virtually everywhere. He wanted to spend time with her as _himself_, but not in the Lair, the scene of that recent strange but productive interaction. Nothing seemed like a good idea.

Once he had the phone figured out, he wanted to call her immediately. But he told himself he had to be patient. It had been less than 12 hours since he had dropped her off at her apartment, and he was missing her already. He wanted to make contact, to be reassured that she would still willingly see him again. He wanted to send a spybot to check on her activities, to follow her surreptitiously, but firmly told himself this was not acceptable in the type of relationship he wanted to have with her. He promised himself he would devise a list of at least five activities they could do that did not require a disguise, than reward himself by sending her a text message stating he was ready to discuss their date. He knew of her plans for dinner with friends, but the sales clerk at the store had suggested text messages were considered less intrusive than calling. So, what could they do?

* * *

><p>Julia glanced from Roxanne to Tina, and made a decision. Looking pointedly at Tina, she asked, "So, how do you spend your time at the charity ball? Didn't you say you had a date for the evening? How did that go?" Tina rolled her eyes, but proceeded to answer the questions, allowing Julia to draw the attention away from Roxanne. Inwardly, Roxanne thanked Julia for her tact, and proceeded to finish her meal. Roxanne shared with her friends small tidbits of the rest of her evening at the ball, and there were no further questions about afterwards.<p>

When they were all finished, Julia stood up and said, "I need to make a stop at the ladies' room before we leave." Tina hurriedly added, "Me, too. Roxanne, could you hold down the table so the server doesn't think we tried to skip out without paying?" "Of course," Roxanne said brightly. As soon as they were out of sight, she whipped her phone out of her purse, and proceeded to compose a text:

"SORRY, STILL WITH GIRLFRIENDS, COULDN'T RESPOND TIL NOW. PROBABLY ANOTHER HOUR TIL I CAN CALL. R"

* * *

><p>"You know, Tina, I love you, but sometimes, you have all the tact of a Mack truck. You let your curiosity get the better of you. I'll admit, I think you're right about there being a guy involved, but I don't think it's as simple as having a new boyfriend."<p>

"I know. Asking people questions is not my forte. That's why I'm a producer and not a reporter."

"And being an editor at a publishing company is more than just correcting people's grammar and run-on sentences. I have to do a lot of hand-holding, coaxing, coercing, and generally getting people to finish their book by helping them through their problems. Despite what Roxanne said out there, in some ways I do act like a psychotherapist to people, at least to the authors assigned to me."

"So what's your point, Julia?"

"My point, Tina, is that maybe you should let me be alone with Roxanne, and then maybe I can get out of her what's going on."

"So will you promise to call me afterwards and fill me in?"

"No promises. But if she shares anything with me, I'll at least ask her what, if anything, I can share with you."

"Deal. I'll make myself scarce."

When her friends arrived back at the table, Roxanne told them she had picked up the check. They protested, but Roxanne said it was the least she could do after her outburst earlier. "What shall we do now?" asked Julia.

"Oh, unlike some people, I do have a hot date for later." said Tina.

"Don't you need to be getting back home, Julia?" asked Roxanne.

"It's girls' night out. Alan doesn't expect me home until after midnight. They are his children, too, after all. It's good for him to have time to bond with them."

Well, I'm not really interested in going out to a bar."

"Let's just go back to your place then. It's not like I want any more alcohol. I'm driving after all. One glass of wine with dinner is about my max for the evening. Come on, it will save you the price of taxi fare back to your apartment. If you're tired, I won't stay long."

Roxanne felt guilty about the fact that what she wanted to do was to be alone as soon as possible so she could call Megamind. She told herself it was no big deal if she called a little later than she had indicated to him. She would let Julia stay for 45 minutes or so, and make some excuse to get her to leave. "Sure, sounds fine. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Back at the apartment, Roxanne said, "I'm getting myself a glass of wine. Anything I can get you?"<p>

"Just some water."

Facing each other as they settled onto the couch, Roxanne tried to take control of the conversation, asking more questions about Julia's work, her husband's business, and the kids. Julia went along with the ploy, but eventually decided it was time to be direct. "Roxanne, I know it's not my business, except for the fact that we've been friends a long time, and you know I care about you and what's going on with you. You don't owe me any explanations, and I don't expect you to tell me anything that you're not ready to share. But I am concerned about you. The way you acted earlier, it's just not like you. You know you can trust me. When you finally shared with me about that little escapade with Megamind that happened three months ago, I never told anyone, not even Tina. You told me yourself, it helped to talk about it." Julia noted that when she mentioned the incident with Megamind, Roxanne's eyes widened, and she looked a little nervous, but then her face went blank. Julia filed this away for future reference, but said nothing about it. "So if there's something going on that's bothering you, or upsetting you, I wish you would talk to me, and let me help you. Even if all I can do is just be a sounding board." She watched the indecision on Roxanne's face, and could tell she was wavering back and forth.

"I don't even know where to start."

"How about, whatever part is easiest to share?"

And then the tone went off, indicating a text message on Roxanne's phone. "Go ahead, take care of it. I can wait." Roxanne gave a sheepish grin, and took the phone out of her purse. She read:

"IT'S BEEN AN HOUR. SORRY TO BE IMPATIENT. STILL NOT SPYING. ARE YOU ALRIGHT? M"

Roxanne looked up to see Julia smiling at her. "Go on, answer it." Roxanne typed:

"SORRY. IN MY APARTMENT WITH GIRLFRIEND, TALKING. DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL BE. WILL CALL AS SOON AS SHE LEAVES. R"

Once Roxanne put her phone away, Julia asked, "So Tina was right, at least part of this has to do with some guy? The guy who's texting you?"

"OK. Here's the story, or at least part of it. When I got back to my apartment building after the charity event, there was someone here waiting for me. I'm going to call him... Michael. That's not his real name. He was someone I met through... work. He wanted to talk to me. Actually, he basically tricked me. At first he said he wanted to talk to me about things related to... work."

"Do you mean he works at the station?"

"No. Let's just say that we met through my work as a reporter."

"So you've interviewed him, like for a story?"

"Something like that, yes, I met him through my reporting work. Anyways, it turned out that, instead of wanting to talk to me about... work, his work, my work, doesn't matter, he really wanted... to see whether I was interested in...dating him."

"So you stayed up late talking in your apartment?"

"No... he... convinced me... to go to his place. At first the interaction was really bizarre, and I'll admit he said some things that kind of... unnerved me. He's really kind of an eccentric person. But he showed sides of himself I'd never seen before when we only had... professional interactions. He was charming. He made himself vulnerable, and he was really rather... sweet. He kind of …..came on to me and I found myself ….responding to him." Roxanne found to her consternation that she was blushing. "I was surprised at myself."

"Let me guess. He's brilliant, and kind of geeky."

"How did you know?"

Julia gave a short laugh. "Roxanne, that's all you're ever interested in. Except for that one guy on the baseball team in college, and that turned into a fiasco. Remember, I believed you right away when you said you weren't dating Metro Man. Unless he had some hidden depths not obvious on TV, I knew he wasn't your type."

Roxanne smiled. "You do know me pretty well."

"So what's the problem?"

"It's complicated."

"So what part of complicated can you tell me?"

Roxanne sighed. "A part of it, and it's only a small part, I'll admit, is my public image. People, most people, believe that I'm dating Metro Man, no matter how often I deny it. If it comes out that I'm dating someone else, I'm not sure what that would do to my career."

"I can't believe that that's the real problem. I can't believe you would let public opinion sway you from being in a relationship if it makes you happy."

"Busted. You're right, that's not the real issue." She sighed again. "All right. I don't even know for sure what's going to happen. Do we ever know what's going to happen when we first start dating someone? We have our first real date planned for tomorrow night. That's why he's texting me, we're trying to work out the details. The problem is... the problem is that he's done some... shady things... in the past. Oh, all right, I'll say it. He's done some time in prison…. He's out now." (And she crossed her fingers mentally, thinking, _He __was__ out; he just did it by breaking out.)_ "He's been out for a while." (_Like maybe 4 months_.) "And he's not doing anything criminal now." (_I hope._) "But you can see how, with my very public job, if it got out I was dating someone with a criminal record, that could be a problem."

"Yes, I understand. But he hasn't done anything really horrible, right? Not murder, not bank robbery, not anything like that?"

"No, nothing quite like that." (_Just terrorizing the city, tearing up buildings while he fights Metro Man, just minor infractions like that_.)

"But you're attracted to him? Enough that you're even considering dating him, despite his history?"

Roxanne nodded her head. But then blurted out, "Am I crazy?"

Julia shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know him. I don't know if his good qualities outweigh anything that he's done in the past. I don't know if he's truly reformed. But isn't that supposed to be the other purpose of incarceration, not just punishment, but reforming people. If people truly change, and are remorseful, shouldn't they be forgiven? Shouldn't people be given the opportunity to remake their lives?"

Roxanne thought for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you, Julia. You won't believe how much it helped me to hear you say that. I was already thinking that I needed to talk with him about his past and how he's changed, to assure myself that he could possibly be someone I could be with long-term."

"So, is 'Michael' someone I would recognize by sight, or at least the real name?"

Roxanne flushed, but said nothing. "I guess that's my answer. You know, I'm burning up with curiosity over here, but I won't ask." After a pause, Julia added, "Hint, hint."

"No, not anywhere close to being ready to share his name."

"Okay. Anything else you ready to share about this beginning relationship?" Roxanne shook her head. "All right, I did have one other concern. The few times we've talked, you have seemed more relaxed in the last two months. Have you finally stopped worrying about Megamind retaliating? Or are you still having nightmares?" Julia narrowed her eyes; why was this question flustering Roxanne? She was twisting her fingers, moving restlessly.

"No, no, I'm fine."

"You don't look like you're fine. Why does this question bother you?" She had a sudden inspiration. "Have you heard from him?" Julia was surprised when Roxanne laughed; it had a mildly hysterical quality to it.

When she stopped laughing, Roxanne gazed at Julia and said, "You do have a remarkable talent for getting right to the point of things. As a matter of fact, I did hear from Megamind just recently. For two whole months I thought he might be gone for good."

Julia looked stricken. "Oh, Roxanne, I'm so sorry. What did he say?"

Roxanne gave that hysterical laugh again. "You'll never believe it. He told me, he told me he would never kidnap me again."

"Do you believe him?"

"Funny enough, given some other things he said, and no, I'm not going to tell you, I do believe him."

"So that's good, right?"

"Yes, that's good. But the contact was disconcerting all the same."

"I can imagine."

"And now, Julia, I'm going to ask you to go home. Thank you for cornering me and getting me to talk. But I've said all I'm comfortable with for now."

"Glad to be of assistance. Oh, you know Tina is going to call me and try to pump me for information. What am I allowed to tell her?"

Roxanne considered. "That I'm starting to date somebody, someone I previously had a professional relationship with. That there are complications because of his past, and that he showed up at my apartment right after the charity ball. That's it. Oh, and if she starts pestering me at work for more information, I will not only clam up about the present, I'll never tell her anything about what happens in the future."

"Got it. And now I'll leave, so you can call your new beau, which I'm sure you are itching to do. Good night, Roxanne."

* * *

><p>The door to her apartment had barely closed, when she had her phone out, and Roxanne was entering his number.<p>

"Ollo, I mean, hello."

"Hi, it's me."

"Of course, no one else would call me; who else would have this number?"

"Just wait until you start getting wrong number calls. Never mind. So, no spying, huh?"

"Yes, it was hard, but I'm trying to be good."

"What made it hard, force of habit?"

"Maybe in part. But mostly, I now realize… how much it reassured me… to have you under constant surveillance. Not doing it today, I started to worry… whether you were safe, wondering about what was happening with you. Of course, in the past, the only threat to you... was usually me. Although, I was never really a threat to your safety, just your social plans." There was a pause. "I hope that doesn't disturb you too much, to know how much I was watching you."

"I'll admit it's a little disconcerting. I appreciate that you've stopped. Anyway, have you thought about what you would like to do tomorrow?"

"Yes. But I am more concerned about what you would like to do."

"I would like to hear your suggestions first."

"There are two lists. The first list involves activities that would require me to go in disguise. I have a device to provide that. Also, if, as a local celebrity, you have any concern about being seen going out with someone other than, ahem, the person your public expects, I could provide a similar device for you. The second list is of activities that would not require a disguise for either of us."

"Let's hear the second list. I prefer the idea of our first official date being as ourselves."

"As do I. It's nice to know we think alike. All right. Number one: we could go on a picnic in a secluded location that I know. Number two: when it's dark enough, we could go stargazing. I have a rather good telescope that's portable. Number three: we could go on a hike in a remote location, taking the disguise devices as a backup in case we run into anyone. Number four: we could have dinner, take out, at your apartment. Number five: we could take a long drive in the invisible car. Number six: we could take a flight on the hoverbike, which, as I'm sure you recall, also has the invisibility shield. Number seven: we could go boating on that lake north of the city. It's a bit of a drive, or flight, to get there, but if you're interested, we could do it."

"I'm assuming you would be all right if we combine several of those."

"Of course. Which ones appeal to you?"

"Hmmm…Pick me up on the hoverbike. We'll go for a ride, ending up in that location for the picnic. If it's a dark sky site, then we can also do the stargazing. Oh, the telescope, maybe that wouldn't work."

"I'll make it work. So, I'll pick you up as soon as it gets dark. It's not too late for dinner?"

"No, it still gets dark pretty early."

"Then I will see you as darkness falls." He paused. "I'm very much looking forward to seeing you again."

"I am... looking forward to it also. Good night."

"Good night. Sleep well." He refrained from adding, "My love."

* * *

><p>Megamind knew he needed to have a conversation with Minion. He tracked him down in the kitchen of the Lair. Minion tended to do a lot of baking when he was distressed. Megamind got right to the point. "Minion, we need to talk." Minion stopped what he was doing, and sat in a chair. But he didn't say anything. Megamind couldn't settle, but walked around the room as he began. "I expect that you are upset, maybe even angry, with me. I didn't tell you the whole truth about my plans. I haven't been telling you the truth for the last three months. I did not tell you because I was sure you would not approve of my initial plans, possibly to the point of not only not helping, but maybe even choosing to undermine them. And you would've been right to have done so."<p>

Minion finally spoke. "When I found you, tied to the chair, you were so angry, angrier than I've ever seen you. And when I released you, you stormed around the Lair, and said such terrible things about Miss Ritchi. I was afraid, afraid for the first time, that you might actually... hurt her. I knew that, if you did, later you would regret it. But I didn't know what to do. Then you seemed to go into such a deep depression. It worried me, when you stopped eating, and wouldn't come out of your room for days. Finally, when you did come out, I knew you weren't telling me the truth. You've never done that before. So I was still worried."

"And for that, I truly apologize. So now I'm going to tell you what's been going on, and what will be going on." Megamind wouldn't look Minion in the eye. He explained what his plan had been initially, how it changed over time, and how, now, his plan was to court Roxanne.

Minion was quiet at first, but then replied "I'm still concerned about how you will take it if your plan doesn't succeed. Not that I'm predicting failure, mind you," he hastened to add.

Megamind laughed briefly. "I don't have high hopes for the success of this plan either. But then, when has that ever stopped me? So, Minion, would you assist me in this plan, or would you prefer to... remain uninvolved? I would not fault you if you would choose the latter."

"Oh no, Sir, I would like to help. Tell me what I can do."

"Excellent. Here is what I would like..."

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR NOTES<strong>:

Sorry if, after Revenge, you were expecting more dark and edgy. Hope you're not disappointed. My Megamind has moved on, along with me. We're all about change now. But if you want to watch him grow and develop, come along for the ride. (Well, there's a little edginess planned for Part 3, but nothing like Revenge.)

Chapter 2 -coming soon. My goal is to update at least weekly until the three story arc is complete (because when I'm reading a story, I hate waiting a long time for updates).

If you liked this, feedback/ reviews would be greatly appreciated.


	2. First Official Date

**Beginning, or First Date (With No Kidnapping) **

DISCLAIMER: (Do I really have to say this?) I do not own Megamind in any way, have no financial stake in the movie or characters, and this story is just for fun. Thanks, DreamWorks, for letting us play in your sandbox.

AUTHOR NOTE: Thank you to all who have taken the time to post reviews of my two stories. It's so nice to get feedback, and to know that some people are enjoying my work. Of course, now I'm worrying about disappointing people, and agonizing even more -Arggh! (Covers face with hands.) (Peeking through the fingers: Hope you like this…)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2. First Official Date<strong>

Eventually Roxanne admitted it to herself: the closer the time came for Megamind's arrival, the more nervous she was becoming. Earlier, it had just seemed exciting, when she was curious to see what would happen, and eager to ask some of the questions she had been ruminating about during the last two days. Now she was wondering if she was just kidding herself, believing her own lies and half truths spun in that story she told Julia, which simplified all the complications, and made it easier to pretend it was just like a normal date.

The damsel-in-distress part of her had awakened, and started worrying over the sanity of voluntarily putting herself completely into his control, on a hoverbike no less, and going to a remote location. The damsel was complaining, "What were you thinking, selecting those activities? Why didn't you pick the dinner in your apartment? That at least would be safer."

"Because that would have been boring. The stargazing sounded interesting, and riding the hoverbike is exciting. Besides," she reminded the damsel, "what difference does it make where our date starts? If Megamind really wants to take me somewhere else against my will, there's little I can do to stop him. Nothing has stopped him for years." She would have to be by Metro Man's side constantly to keep Megamind away. She shuddered; that sounded revolting. Then she found herself chuckling, thinking of all the female residents of Metro City who would probably melt at the thought of being with Metro Man 24/7, while she would rather be with Megamind. Definitely something wrong with her.

The damsel was still whining, "But he gave you the option of not seeing him! You can still cancel. Say you're sick."

The reporter tried to soothe her. "We've always been safe with Megamind. He's never harmed Roxanne, even when we hit him. Besides, maybe I can get a story out of this."

"No, no stories. This is not about using him or tricking him. I'm doing this because I want to see if I can have a personal relationship with him, a real relationship. That night he seemed like an interesting, complex, fascinating man, and I was attracted to him. He made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time."

"But he's an alien," the damsel moaned.

"So is Metro Man, but no one seems to have any problem with the idea of him dating a human female. Besides, it's just one date."

"You promised three months," reminded the damsel.

"Oh. That's right. I did. … I'd forgotten about that."

"See, see, didn't think this through, did you?"

"But he was so sweet at the end of that evening, and during our contacts on Saturday."

"But," the damsel retorted, "he was also scary some of the time in that room."

The reporter spoke up again. "I think the scary behavior was all an act, part of some weird plot that oversized brain of his came up with to get Roxanne to date him."

The damsel muttered, "I still think there's a trick in this somewhere." But she didn't seem very emphatic.

The reporter pressed, "All the evidence points to him being safe. I still think it will be interesting, at the very least. Look, this date can't possibly be worse than the one with that crime novelist." The damsel grudgingly agreed. "We have a list of questions prepared. We'll ask, and hear his answers. We'll observe what he's like tonight. Let's see what happens. Then we'll decide. Besides, three months is not that long. There was no agreement on how frequent the dates have to be. If Roxanne doesn't like what happens tonight, she can string out the time between the dates. And after all, I can't imagine the dates being more inconvenient than all those kidnappings. At least we'll know for sure when they'll happen."

That seemed to shut up the damsel, and she finally went back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Her fears put firmly back in the closet, now Roxanne only had what felt like the usual first date jitters, a slight nervousness about the unknown, coupled with the thrill of anticipation. She tried to read, and couldn't concentrate, and kept glancing at the balcony doors. Finally, she heard a sound, and she practically ran outside. She couldn't see anything; no, there was a slight shimmer, like with the invisible car. She whispered, "Megamind?" and the shimmer dissolved into the alien and his hoverbike.<p>

"Good evening, Roxanne," he said, smiling shyly at her. "I brought you these. I understand it's traditional." He held out a bunch of yellow roses.

She smiled back at him as she took the bouquet. "Thank you. They're one of my favorite types of flowers."

"I know."

She looked at him quizzically. "How did you know?"

Now he appeared a little embarrassed. "Well, you know I had you ahh… under surveillance for months. Forty-five days ago, you went to that Mexican restaurant on 2nd Street with your co-worker, Tina. She told you about getting similar flowers from a man, and you...ahh…. mentioned it. You don't mind too much if I use my knowledge to try to please you, do you?"

Roxanne gave a little laugh. "I should probably be annoyed, but… no, I guess I don't mind, as long as it's to please me. Here, come in while I put these in water."

Megamind felt somewhat nervous about going into Roxanne's apartment, but also a little excited. It gave him a sense of being closer to her by being invited into her personal space, even if only for a moment. He had seen the recordings made by the spybots, but it wasn't the same thing as being there. He paused to look around the living room, examining the photographs in frames, while Roxanne arranged the roses in a glass vase in the kitchen. She carried them back to the living room, where she placed them on the table before her couch. She turned to pick up her jacket from the arm of the couch, but Megamind had it in his hands, holding it out for her to insert her arms. "Thank you," she murmured. Really, he was trying so hard; she was impressed.

She zipped up the black leather jacket, and said, "Ready to go."

Megamind was gazing at her with an odd expression on his face, and then he chuckled. Before she had time to get miffed about this, he gestured to each of them, and observed, "We match."

She looked, and he was right. Megamind was wearing his typical style of outfit (minus the spikes), but there was no blue today, not even the lining of his cape; his clothing was totally black. Roxanne had black jeans and black shoes, and with the jacket covering her midnight blue shirt, she appeared to be in all black also. "Huh, I didn't really think about it; I guess black just seemed appropriate for star gazing."

Megamind smiled again. "And once more, we think alike. Let's go."

As they approached the hoverbike, Megamind said, "While the helmet is optional tonight, I must still insist on the safely harness."

"No problem," she replied. She climbed on the bike, and as he belted her in, she teased him, "What, you've not offering me your cape tonight?"

"You are dressed much more appropriately for riding tonight; understandable, since this time you were expecting it. But, later, if you decide you're too cold, you are welcome to borrow my cape."

Roxanne put her arms around him once he settled himself on the bike. "But wouldn't lending your cape leave you cold?"

Waving his hand in his usual dismissive manner, he stated, "The cape's more for style than comfort for me. But even if it were not, a gentleman would never let a lady get cold if he could do something about it." While Roxanne silently took that in, he continued, "I'm about to engage the invisibility shield and the motor. Are you ready?"

"Yes." In a moment, she could see a slight glistening in the air surrounding them.

They took off slowly, and gently accelerated. She watched the lights of the city as they sped toward the south. It really was an interesting way to travel. They talked about the various landmarks that they passed, but mostly they were quiet. They had been riding for about a half an hour when Megamind stated, "We're close. About ten more minutes."

"So, when are you going to show me what this bike can really do?"

He looked back over his shoulder into her face. "You're a bit of a daredevil, aren't you?" Before she could respond, he warned, "Hold on tight." She barely had time to strengthen her grip on him, when the bike surged forward. It was a little scary, but also exhilarating. Rather like an amusement park ride. She wasn't really afraid for her safety; she felt sure he would never be reckless about that. About two minutes later, they landed, with the bike decelerating in only the last 15 seconds.

"That was great!" Roxanne exclaimed. "We'll have to do that again."

"I like going fast, too. Something else we have in common."

Once they both dismounted from the hoverbike, he opened a series of compartments on it, and took out a blanket and numerous containers. He accepted her offer to help carry the items, and led her to a nearby clearing. After spreading out the blanket, the containers were arranged, and he opened them to display the various food and drink options. There were several types of sandwiches, fruit, salad, and, among the drink options, the same wine as before. "You know," Roxanne commented, "there are other options for wine."

"I chose to stick with what was safe, meaning known; but I would happy to hear what else you would like me to make available in the future."

They proceeded to eat and talk, with Megamind asking additional questions about her past and her work. Roxanne requested more stories of his childhood growing up in the prison. When he offered her dessert, she said, "Let's save that for later. I don't see the telescope, unless it's packed away in the bike."

"No, it wouldn't fit in the bike, but stargazing is still on the agenda." He got up and walked to the cliff face, and removed a tangle of branches, revealing a small cave. He was in and out of the cave within seconds, returning with several cases in his hands. "I brought it earlier, and hid it here."

"You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."

"It was not... too much trouble." He began to assemble the telescope, which was a more complicated model than she had expected. It had an attached computer and motor, which enabled them to locate specific astronomical objects merely by typing in the name. Roxanne admitted it had been years since she used a telescope of any type. She found it interesting to look at the near Earth objects, such as Jupiter and its moons, and the rings of Saturn. She requested to see the various Messier objects that she recalled from her one astronomy class in college. Then Megamind inquired, "Would you like to see my home, or rather, the star around which my world once revolved?"

She answered, "Of course."

As she looked through the telescope eyepiece, Megamind commented, "I know that it's not a particularly remarkable looking star."

Roxanne glanced at him and said, "Does it make you sad, to look at the star, what would've been your Sun?"

"Maybe a little... mel-on-choly." After a pause, Megamind asked, "Are you ready for dessert now?"

Sensing it would help change his mood, she agreed. Back on the blanket, Megamind told her, "Since you liked the brownies so well, Minion made more. And there is cheesecake left from before." He got out these items, but then told Roxanne, "Close your eyes." She hesitated for only a moment, but did as he directed. Then he instructed her, "Open your mouth."

"You're asking for a lot of trust on a first date."

"Maybe I am. So, Roxanne, are you going to trust me, or not?" he challenged her.

The damsel stirred, but stayed asleep. Thinking '_leap of faith_,' she opened her mouth. She was not surprised that he put something in it, but she was somewhat startled at the flavor.

She chewed, swallowed, and gasped, "That's amazing." She opened her eyes, and saw him grinning at her, holding a plate with the cheesecake and the brownie together.

With a mischievous look in his eye, Megamind inquired, "Would you like me to keep feeding you? I don't mind."

"Thanks, but I think I can handle that myself," and she held out her hands for the plate and fork. He had a similar plate prepared for himself. They ate in silence, savoring the flavor. When they were done, he offered to open the wine, and she accepted.

As they talked and they drank, Roxanne realized that she was having a very good time, and enjoying his company immensely. She was feeling comfortable, and relaxed, and sensed inside her that spark of attraction toward him. She realized she was just looking at his face, and had stopped hearing what he was saying. He had moved close to her, where she was lying on her side on the blanket, propped up on one elbow. He picked up her free hand, and held it in his, caressing it tentatively. He stopped talking, and gazed at her face. Slowly, hesitantly, he leaned close to her, and gently put his lips on hers.

She closed her eyes, and fell into the sensation. It was better, better than that time in the Lair, because now she was more certain of how she felt about him, and she let herself merely enjoy the sensuality of it. She was aware when he whispered her name, and gently pushed her shoulders until she was lying on her back. His hands were caressing her face, her hair, her neck, her shoulders, and her own hands had crept, as if of their own accord, around his waist and up his back. She was thinking about how long it had been since she had been with a man in any way, how good this was feeling, how she _missed_ this, and how she didn't want it to stop. When she began to wonder about the fact that he seemed such a different man than the one who had repeatedly kidnapped her, a warning bell began to go off in her head. Then she realized she _needed_ to stop this, halt this before it went too far, before she got in too deep. There were things they must discuss first.

He had captured her mouth; he was holding it hostage. She tried to speak, but her lips were restrained. Finally, his mouth moved to her throat, and she was able to say, "Megamind, stop; we need to talk."

At first, he didn't seem to hear her. She repeated herself more loudly. He stilled, and then, as though the words had suddenly burst into his mind, he jerked himself off of her and scuttled to the other side of the blanket. There was fear, embarrassment, and guilt on his face as he whispered, "Roxanne, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't-mean to-"

She rushed to reassure him, "No, no, it's fine. You did nothing wrong."

"But I must have, because you told me to stop."

"I... was enjoying what we were doing. But, before we go further…in this relationship, there are a few things I need to know." She gradually moved over to sit next to him.

Cautiously, he asked, "What do you need to know?"

Roxanne took a deep breath, and said, "What do you plan to do about Metro Man?"

This question appeared to startle Megamind, and he responded, "Nothing." After a pause, he added, "Is there something in particular you would like me to do to Metro Man?"

Roxanne almost laughed, but controlled herself. "What I need to know is: do you have any intention of resuming your active rivalry with Metro Man? I mean, are you still going to try to, I don't know, capture him, defeat him, annihilate him?"

Megamind was relieved. "I have no interest in any further interaction with Metro Man. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't exist. That is, as long as he is not a rival with me for your affections."

Roxanne murmured, "Oh, there's no competition there. He truly is not my type."

"That's nice to hear. Am I to assume that indicates that I am, in some way, your type?"

"Nice deduction, Sherlock." Roxanne smiled at him, but then became businesslike again. "And just to clarify, do you have any plans to continue in any type of criminal activity?"

Megamind was equally somber when he replied, "At this point, my only plan is to focus on our relationship."

Roxanne pressed him, "I need a promise from you that you will engage in no more criminal activity from now on. I can forgive you for the past, but I can't date someone who's actively involved in any type of illegal behavior. Can you promise me this?"

Megamind hesitated. "I don't want to lose you before we've barely begun. But I will not lie to you." He observed the disappointment on Roxanne's face, noticed her start to pull away, and he rushed in, "Please, let me explain." She nodded, and he continued.

"My criminal activity, as you label it, has all been connected to my rivalry with Metro Man. This rivalry began in childhood. The photo I showed you, the classroom picture: you may not have recognized him, but one of the children in the class was the child who grew up to be Metro Man. He was the teacher's pet, the most popular child in the class, the leader. I think the teacher was a little afraid of me, of my alienness. She actually used him to enforce her discipline on me. And he was the one who orchestrated the ostracism by the other students. He was seen as all things good, and no matter how hard I tried, I always ended up being labeled the bad one. So I finally decided if I couldn't be good, I would be the best 'bad" there was. He was the focus of all my anger and frustration. If he was good and heroic, then I would have to be evil. I decided it was my destiny, a destiny I couldn't escape, one that felt forced on me, not one I willingly chose. It is only now that I recognize that I have a choice. Now, I don't want to be bad, to be evil. I want to be, Roxanne, whenever you need me to be, whenever you want me to be."

Roxanne was feeling overwhelmed by all she had heard. It felt like a lot of responsibility being placed in her hands. She replied, "I'm glad to hear you don't want to be bad, or evil, but I want you to be yourself, not force yourself into a mold of my making."

"I'm not even sure I know _who_ I am anymore. Will you help me find myself, while we explore what _we_ could be?"

"We can try. But you have to be honest, with yourself and with me. You can't just pretend to be what you think I want. That will only blow up in our faces down the road."

"All right, I will try very hard to be honest." He looked down, and then up again, glancing at her face. "And in the interest of honesty, there's more that I must tell you." He dared to pick up one of her hands and hold it. "When I began my career as a criminal mastermind, I knew I needed money, a lot of money, for my inventions, the ones necessary for defeating Metro Man. I didn't want to rob banks; that seemed so tawdry, so petty. And hardly suitable for a genius and a supervillain. Discussing it with Minion, we decided that it actually would be easier to patent and sell some of my smaller, less dangerous inventions. The problem was that I never had legal citizenship established in this country, let alone on this planet." He gave a little chuckle, saying, "The ultimate alien."

Sobering, he continued, "From some of the connections I acquired from my 'uncles' in the prison, I eventually contacted some people sophisticated in the establishment of alternative identities. These uncles pulled in a few favors for me, and the identity of a reclusive, eccentric inventor was established. I actually made a fair amount of money, which was then invested and secured in several different financial establishments in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland. The process seemed rather shady to me, but the accountants assure me it's actually quite legal. So, when you asked me to promise no more criminal activity, I'm not sure how the latter fits. I don't pay taxes, but I'm using legal loopholes. And I don't know if the false identity I use for my patents is considered illegal or not." He took a breath, and tentatively looked into her face. "So, Roxanne, how close do I fit to what you require?"

She was stunned. "How much money do you have in these offshore accounts?"

"Does it matter?" A curious look came onto Megamind face. "If there's enough money, would it make me more attractive to you?"

Roxanne laughed. "No, I'm not really that mercenary. It's just the reporter in me; I'm inquisitive. But to answer your question, yes, I'm satisfied with your answers for now. Although, I must admit, eventually I will want to investigate the legal technicalities."

"Fair enough." After a pause, "Any more questions?"

"So what would you expect to do with your time, when you're not with me? I do have a career you know."

"I could spend all my time when I'm not with you planning for our time together." But seeing the slightly horrified look in her expression, he hurried on, "but I expect I would just continue inventing. It is what I'm best at, besides being evil, of course."

"Ha, ha. But you've stopped being evil, right?"

"Yes, Roxanne."

"I think I learned enough to be comfortable... resuming our prior activity." Putting her arms around him, she leaned into his face and kissed him.

They were cuddled up together, her back to his front, his arms around her, and he was nuzzling her neck. Roxanne thought to herself that she had no idea what time it was. Glancing at her watch, she started. "What's wrong?" asked Megamind.

"It's later than I thought; we need to leave. I have to be at the station early tomorrow morning."

"Would you like to have another experience of seeing how fast the hoverbike can go?"

"Sounds good." She helped him hurriedly pack up the blanket and food containers. The telescope was also packed away, and put back in the cave. "Aren't you worried about the safety of that?"

"Minion or I will come pick it up later tonight. Let's get you home to your bed."

* * *

><p>As they said goodbye on her balcony, Megamind inquired, "When can I see you again?"<p>

"I don't know. Definitely next Friday, but I don't know about before that. It depends on what happens with work."

"It seems like a long time to wait. But I don't mean to be demanding. What kind of contact from me is permitted? I know I'm not supposed to have you under surveillance anymore. How frequently am I allowed to call and to send you text messages?"

"I would say … calling every evening after work is acceptable, and a few text messages through the day would be all right. That's as long as you understand I may not be able to respond or answer the phone. It all depends on what's happening with work."

"All right, I'll try to be good, and follow the rules. And you'll let me know when I'm making a mistake, but will not be too hard on me, right?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, of course." She kissed him goodbye, lingering for just a moment, and swiftly went inside.

As she walked away, he called after her, "Sleep well."

He hoped she could sleep; he didn't think he would be able to for hours. He was so keyed up. The evening had gone better than he had expected. He knew he would lie awake reviewing every moment, especially the kisses and caresses.

He must have done some things right. Roxanne had seemed pleased with him, attracted to him. It was a good first effort. It gave him some confidence, but he knew he must still go carefully. Well, he had a Plan; he always did. But this was so dissimilar from his battles with Metro Man. Then, Megamind had been trying to defeat him, destroy him. With Roxanne he wanted something very different: he wanted to capture her heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Roxanne was amazed. She'd encountered Tina several times through the day, and not once did Tina ask any questions that were not work-related. Near the end of the day, Roxanne asked her, "So, why no personal questions?"

Tina responded, "Julia passed on the command. I'm just following orders. I can delay gratification, when I really want to. You noticed I didn't say anything when those flowers were delivered to your desk at lunchtime."

Roxanne laughed. "Meaning, you're more interested in hearing the dirty details of what happens later in this relationship, then the beginning. All right, as a reward for being so good, I'll tell you the date was wonderful last night." She clearly had Tina's attention, but Tina continued to keep her mouth shut. "He took me riding on his... motorcycle, we went on a picnic, and went stargazing with his telescope." She could tell Tina was dying to ask more questions, but was still patiently waiting. She laughed again. "And yes, we kissed. That's it, that's all you get."

"So, you think this one might be a keeper?"

"Well, I hate to make a prediction so early in a relationship. We did just have our first official date. And there are some complications to be resolved. But, yes, I think he just might be a keeper."

* * *

><p>AUTHOR NOTES:<p>

Sorry, I couldn't help myself; still putting in borrowed quotes, this time from Twilight. (Fortunately for those who hate the series, you won't be able to tell what they are.)

Everyone get the significance of the yellow roses? No? Think movie, Megamind saying goodbye to the Metro Man statue…well, they looked like roses to me.

Once I set up this alternate reality for Megamind in "Revenge," I started wondering how he could be accepted by society as "good," and how could Metro Man retire, without the usual storyline of faking death or new villains. My next story, the end of my trilogy, will try to address this. My plan is to update weekly. Questions will be answered, mysteries revealed. What, you have no questions? I'm either being too subtle or too obvious.

In case I puzzled anyone, Messier objects are astronomical objects, mostly galaxies or clusters of stars, large enough to be viewed through binoculars and small telescopes, so they are often favorites of beginning amateur astronomers.(Yes, I am one of those people with a telescope in the closet that hasn't been used in years.)

As always**, reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated**. Some of the past comments even prompted me to make some changes which I hope make the future chapters better. I am happy to answer any questions; just send me a personal message.


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